Medical use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), has a long history. In modern times, cannabis is used by patients suffering from AIDS, or undergoing chemotherapy treatment, in order to relieve nausea and vomiting associated with their conditions. Cannabis is also used in a medicinal manner in order to provide pain relief, to treat muscle spasticity, and to stimulate appetite.
Medicinal cannabis can be administered using a variety of methods, including vaporizing or smoking dried buds, eating extracts, taking capsules or using oral sprays. The legality of medical use of cannabis varies internationally. However, even in countries in which the medical use of cannabis is legal, the provision of cannabis to such users is highly regulated, and it is the case that in almost all Western countries, recreational use of cannabis is illegal.